Patriarch of the Indian Motorcycle Company Erle "Red" Armstrong dies at 89, fittingly in Springfield, Massachusetts, the home of his beloved Indian.
Erle Armstrong worked for Indian, either directly or indirectly, for most of the 50-year history of the company. He was also a racer, a rider, a dealer and a Vaudevillian motorcycle stunt rider, building a special "Silodrome" and traveling with various riding partners, including his wife, putting on shows in theaters across the country.
On July 3, 1915, Harley-Davidson flexed their muscle at the Dodge City 300 and then in August, Hendee flexed right back as Erle "Red" Armstrong rode an 8-valve Indian to victory in the inaugural, 300-mile main event on the boards at the newly-completed Tacoma, Washington, motordrome.
Red opened an Indian dealership in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1927, and ran it successfully until 1940. During his shop years, he formed the Armstrong Roamers Motorcycle Club, which put on AMA-sanctioned events including what would be Red's final race in 1931 at the age of 43. He also was the Captain of a motorcycle polo team in the early 1930's. One of his teammates was legendary New England racer Raoul "Woodsie" Castonguay.
After closing his dealership doors in 1940, Armstrong became production manager for Indian. He remained with the company until its final days. A fervent Indian loyalist, Armstrong, along with several other Indian enthusiasts, tried in vain to keep Indian alive.
On July 3, 1915, Harley-Davidson flexed their muscle at the Dodge City 300 and then in August, Hendee flexed right back as Erle "Red" Armstrong rode an 8-valve Indian to victory in the inaugural, 300-mile main event on the boards at the newly-completed Tacoma, Washington, motordrome.
Armstrong's dramatic victory ahead of H-D's Otto Walker and fellow Indian-rider Don Johns held the capacity crowd at fever pitch for most of the race. In the closely contested finish, the winning Indian rider crossed the line only a wheel-length ahead of the Dodge City Champion.
Along with his win in this important race, Red captured the world record for the 100, 200, and 300-mile distance for Indian.
By the end of 1915, Armstrong decided to give up the morgue-visiting board-track racing circuit and began a much safer career as an emergency room-visiting stunt rider. He built a special "Silodrome," which was basically a large barrel built with wood slats so that spectators could watch from any angle. Setting up the Silodrome in theaters and calling the show "The Whirl of Death," Armstrong and another rider would ride in the small cylinder doing various stunts. He often rode in the show with his wife on a specially-built tandem Indian. The act became so popular that he was asked to perform the show during the Panama-Pacific Exhibition held in San Francisco in 1915.
Red opened an Indian dealership in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1927, and ran it successfully until 1940. During his shop years, he formed the Armstrong Roamers Motorcycle Club, which put on AMA-sanctioned events including what would be Red's final race in 1931 at the age of 43. He also was the Captain of a motorcycle polo team in the early 1930's. One of his teammates was legendary New England racer Raoul "Woodsie" Castonguay.
After closing his dealership doors in 1940, Armstrong became production manager for Indian. He remained with the company until its final days. A fervent Indian loyalist, Armstrong, along with several other Indian enthusiasts, tried in vain to keep Indian alive.
Erle "Red" Armstrong was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 1998.
